Planning Your Vegetable Garden Early

Meghan Bowe

Sunday

Apr 29, 2012 at 12:01 AMApr 29, 2012 at 11:25 AM

Even in northern Illinois, gardeners can plant and harvest from early April until the fall frosts by planning ahead. According to University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Richard Hentschel, there are as many as six opportunities to plant vegetables during the growing season by taking advantage of the space where the early crops were and planting summer and fall crops.

How can gardening start in April when the weather is still cold? “By carefully choosing which garden plants thrive in cold, wet soils and actually prefer those conditions,” Hentschel explained. “Onions and peas, for example, prefer cold weather as ...

Read more

Even in northern Illinois, gardeners can plant and harvest from early April until the fall frosts by planning ahead. According to University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Richard Hentschel, there are as many as six opportunities to plant vegetables during the growing season by taking advantage of the space where the early crops were and planting summer and fall crops.

How can gardening start in April when the weather is still cold? “By carefully choosing which garden plants thrive in cold, wet soils and actually prefer those conditions,” Hentschel explained. “Onions and peas, for example, prefer cold weather as ...

Read more

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